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Fuchsia Parade - Heather Martin

Wednesday, 21 February 2018

21/02/18❤❤❤/5

Genre: NovelPublished: 26th December 2017How long did it take me to read: 4 days

I was asked to review this novel by the lovely author Heather Martin and I was so glad I took this opportunity. This novel is deemed to be 'for all the women out here fighting for themselves' and I think in this quest, it does not fall short.
Throughout the novel, we follow Kailee, a high-powered businesswoman. It is clear from the get-go that Kailee has a drinking problem and uses sex to distract herself from all her home problems. Without revealing too many spoilers, Kailee's self-destructive behaviour reaches an all-time high when her sister dies. It becomes clear early on in the book that family is neither here nor there for Kailee. She doesn't talk to many of her immediate family and she hadn't seen her sister in two years before word got round to her that she had died. Things spiralled for Kailee until finally, she admitted she might need help. Again, I won't spoil the ending, but the reader is then taken on Kailee's journey to becoming a more well-rounded person, yet remaining her old powerful self.

This book was an easy and effortless read. I could disappear in this book and not even be aware anytime had passed. Kailee's voice is distinct and there are many times when she, as the protagonist, is speaking directly to the reader. This conversation-like quality in the book made it so easy to identify with the character. Although I personally haven't had nearly as many problems in my life as poor Kailee, the way she would ask questions and express her opinions to an audience she thought was there, made it feel like she was talking to me directly. Kaliee would ask phrases like 'got it? good', which showed off her high-powered and too the point personality while going about her daily, working life.

I felt like this books aim was to be empowering. Kailee, although an extreme version, was meant to represent every person, not just women. I feel like this novel is aimed at women, however, I think that it wouldn't be un-recommendable for men also. I felt myself rooting for the main character in her journey for recovery and healing and I think that could be true in anyone's journey. However, I did respect the feminist theme though, as it's clear that although Kailee is a woman in a male-dominated New York construction industry, she is also aware that she is the only woman working there. My immediate admiration for Kailee came because of her powerful and driven personality, which I felt was a mask that she put on. Kailee refused to reveal her sensitive self because she felt like she always needed to prove herself in her field of work. Again, without spoiling the ending, in the final chapters, we see a whole new side of Kailee.

Overall I gave it three stars because this book made me think. However, I think it is a little too protagonist based and I would love to see some background characters grow alongside Kailee. She, herself is a lonely character and that's part of her mask that she wears. But I feel that the sensitive, less guarded Kailee she becomes, could allow the narrative to open up for some other characters to come into the light. This book was powerful. I would recommend it to people and I personally would read this book if I ever felt I was in a bad place. This read made me feel proud to be a woman and I identified with Kailee in some aspects of her crazy life.